Two new bills introduced in the Montana legislature would usher in a zero-tolerance policy for wild bison, potentially opening the way for a return to the shoot-on-sight practices of years past.

Under a proposed bill in the state Senate, Department of Livestock officials would have the leeway to exterminate all wild bison. And a bill in the state House of Representatives would allow landowners to kill any bison that sets foot on private property. The legislation pits farmers angered by the huge bison’s foraging against a consortium of wildlife advocates, Native Americans and hunters who had hoped that rules banning the bison were easing.

“Why do you want to spread this creeping cancer, these woolly tanks, around the state of Montana? We’ve got zero tolerance left in our bones,” said John Brenden, a state senator from Scobey, Mont., who is chairman of the Senate Fish and Game Committee and authored that chamber’s bill.

Over the last three decades, around 7,000 bison from Yellowstone National Park, descendants of the less than two dozen free-range bison in America known to have survived the great slaughter of the 1870s and ’80s, were killed for migrating from federal parkland into the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

Yet in Montana, where most Yellowstone bison have been shot or shipped to slaughterhouses, the state agreed last year for the first time to allow bison access to 75,000 acres of public land north of the park for a few months each year.

Last spring, around 60 healthy Yellowstone bison were also moved some 500 miles northeast to a fenced pasture on Montana’s Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The move, celebrated by Sioux and Assiniboine tribe members, marked the first time in decades that any Yellowstone bison were allowed to leave the park alive and the first time since the 1870s that wild bison lived on Fort Peck land.

Opponents argue that the bills would negate years of hard-fought compromises on wild bison management while potentially affecting other wildlife species like elk and bison that live on ranches.

“As a sportsman-conservationist who is proud of Montana’s wildlife heritage, treating one species of wildlife like vermin is very frustrating because we want to have a conversation about the future of wild bison in Montana — and this bill stops the conversation,” said Land Tawney, president of a sportsmen’s group called the Hellgate Hunters and Anglers. Mr. Tawney was among nearly 100 people who packed a state Senate hearing on the issue on Thursday.

Park County, Mont., a local stockgrowers association and the Montana Farm Bureau Federation filed a suit in 2011 challenging the practice of letting bison migrate across the Yellowstone border. But a judge ruled against them in January, citing a 1940 Montana Supreme Court decision emphasizing that the animals were on the land first. “A property owner in this state must recognize there may be some injury to property from wild game for which there is no recourse,” that opinion said.

But John Youngberg, vice president for government affairs for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, said that because wild bison were exterminated by the time Montana became a state in 1889, landowners have the right to live without them.

“They got their property with the expectation that there were no buffalo,” he said. “And these are not white-tailed deer you’re talking about, they’re 2,000-pound animals.”

Agribusiness lawyers also sued last spring to prevent some Yellowstone bison from being moved from Fort Peck to the Fort Belknap Indian reservation, some 200 miles of rolling prairie to the west. Mark Azure, director of Fish and Wildlife at Fort Belknap, testified last week before a House committee in Helena, Mont., that anti-bison bias still hurts Native Americans.

“These animals are part of who we are — they’re part of our culture and also part of where we’re trying to get economically to help our people,” Mr. Azure said. He added that the tribe had invested $100,000 in building a bison pasture that now sits empty because of the lawsuit.

Although outnumbered nearly 8 to 1 by the bill’s opponents at Thursday’s hearing, supporters argued that lethal control is needed to protect domestic livestock from contracting brucellosis, an infectious disease that came from European cattle and now afflicts some Yellowstone bison and elk.

For decades state officials cited brucellosis as their reason for slaughtering bison in Montana, even though no Yellowstone bison had ever been known to pass the bacteria to a cow. Opponents of the bills say they fear a replay of bloody scenes from a few harsh winters in the 1980s and 1990s when Department of Livestock officials gunned down hundreds of famished Yellowstone bison that migrated into Montana in search of forage.

As images of bison carcasses appeared in the media, some wildlife advocates called for a tourism boycott, threatening the state’s second biggest industry after agriculture.

“These bills turn back the clock against all the incremental progress that has been made,” said Glenn Hockett, president of the Gallatin Wildlife Association.

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks department is considering allowing bison year-round access to cattle-free pockets of public land on Yellowstone’s northwest side. Officials are also working on a statewide bison management plan that could allow the reintroduction of a few disease-free bison to some of the most remote parts of the state, possibly including the million-acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Montana.

Public polls show that most Montanans support reintroducing wild bison that could be watched by wildlife enthusiasts and harvested by hunters. That approach would parallel established management plans that allowed elk, deer, antelope and bighorn sheep to return after they were hunted to near-extinction around the time bison vanished.

“Every time the public is sampled, it comes out in favor of the buffalo, but now we’ve got a bill to kill every last one of them — it’s so incongruous,” said Jim Posewitz, a veteran hunter and wildlife advocate who testified against the Senate bill on Thursday.

But Bill Hoppe, who lives in the town of Gardiner, Mont. on the border of Yellowstone, said he supported the bills for the sake of public safety. He testified before the house committee that metal pens were built at bus stops so children could be safe from bison. (The superintendent for Gardiner’s public schools said there were no such pens, however.)

“Buffalo are running free, and we’re corralling our kids in a country where we’re supposed to be free,” Mr. Hoppe testified. (SOURCE)

Responses to "2 Bills Propose Zero Tolerance for Bison"

There is no reason to attempt to convince me that the extermination of Bison is a good thing. Why must the rationalized blood lust of men be supported any more then the considerations of conservation minded people. No more, no more, we worked very hard to bring back the Bison from the endangered speices list. To reverse the policy would waste many years of work and waste the money spent in reversing extinction. Perhap's I may not present the most supported argument at this time. This is wrong is the best I can do at this moment in the middle of my work day. NO MORE KILLING

P.LEASE DON'T kill our bison. Wasn't enough done when the first pioneers came along with the fur trappers and all the trade companies slaughtering and wasting all the buffalo and other animals natural to our great country. Enough killing of our wildlife. LEAVE THEM ALONE. Those who live in Montana and own, (so called) land and don't want buffalo on the land, should pack up and leave. Take your cattle with you. LEAVE OUR BUFFALO alone

Where do I sign the petition to stop the killing of Buffalo. Did we not do enough damage 100 years ago when we slaughtered them for horns and left the rest to rot? Give them to the Indians who know their worth to mankind and the earth. It is wrong to kill, it is wrong to wipe out a species that is part of our history and has done nothing to harm us. IT IS WRONG PERIOD.

Why would this even be an option? Instead of controlling Mother Nature's population, why not try ours? We have the need to be the dominant species when if you look around we are anything but that. Destroying anything and anyone that we think doesn't conform to our needs. Sometime I am ashamed to say I am a human, but never ashamed to say I love animals!

The population control MUST BE A DEMAND ON HUMANS! We must extrapolate out the result or HUMAN OVERPOPULATION. Human population CAN BE CONTROLLED! Nature will be controlled by natural processes of predator vs prey. MAN SHOULD NOT BE THE PREDATOR...IF THIS IS THE ROUTE HUMAN KIND TAKES.....WE WILL KILL OURSELVES......because the eco system defines healthy living...and when MAN eradicates the natural processes for SELF....there will be nothing left but the concrete. OUR SOULS AND SPIRITS need nature...the beauty, the majesty....WHEN IT IS GONE, MAN IS NEXT TO EXTINCTION. Let us control people...population. Let us control pollution and consumerism.

The Natural habitat off the bison Should not be destroyed ,or whatever be touched bij greedy hands ,go somewhere else and let the natural habitat intact ,for our futhere generations to come ,think off your children's children's children,and their generations ahead to come.Everything here on earth should be preserfed our dna's animal ,human,plants and tree,lets all work together too preserve instead off to kill 'to give our children a place to be able continue living,for all off us.

leave our bison alone.they were large herds and healthy long before the government stuck their nose in.you dont have the right to do this act for the tourist or others, against these wonderful animals..the land supported all wild animals for thousands of years.leave the wild creatures to florish as they are intended to do.people are moving into their land,they are not harming nature,PEOPLE DO THIS and CALL IT PROGRESS;such a bunch of crap.. we all must protect these and other wonderful creatures from so called;MANS PROGRESS.........

The bison where here first. It is the people that have taken over their land. They are apart our history. All wildlife belong to mother earth. They are part of the eco systems and serve a purpose. Our children deserve to see how they are in their natural habitat. They where one of main staples for the native americans, until the white man took their lands and killed and trapped the bison to near extinction. If the human race would stop cutting the forest all the wildlife would not have to come into communities forging for food. We take away their natural habitat and not expect them to go in search of food and water to stay alive. I would love for my daughter to see a bison in its natural habitat.

I think it is obsence what mankind has and insist on continuing to do with the animals on this earth. Anything that gets in the way of making money or is an inconvenience in the mind of mankind, is destroyed. This is sad for when we destroy God's other creations, we are slowly destroying ourselves. Shame, shame, shame on us.

Wow, I guess I should kill all the alligators because one damaged my yard by getting under my car?? NO killing stuff isn't the answer. Try birth control, just like we do, give them a shot or insert something that controls the reproduction of animals for 5 years (we can do it in humans why can't we do it to animals??) And the stupid statement about the Montana guy who "bought land not knowing there would be Bison." BISON were here first.....Period....maybe they aren't native to you but they were here before you. And how stupid is that, all animals were here before us. We have already killed off so many creatures that our children will never see for the sake of what?? Where was the benefit? I say leave them alone and find another way to handle the situation. Neuter the males do something. Don't destroy an entire population.

I remember when I was a child and we were traveling in the 1970's in Montana/wyoming/colorado and we stopped on the side of the road to look into a gorge. When we looked over I remember seeing a large amount of bison, shot dead and left. The were run into a gorge where they couldn't get out and slaughtered. I will never forget that horrible feeling I had, I still have it.

The Native American of the plains where many bison roamed were respectful to these magnificent creatures...many tears from here & heaven are being shed. I am also thinking of the song, "Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heared a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day. Home, home on the range..." Lets leave some of Americas beautiful past... Nature and our animal brothers, the true beauty of the land for future generations!

Yes, the bison roam. Migration was always a part of their survival. They were killed nearly to extinction by a government killing off the indian's main food supply.Yes, they can be a major nuisence, even a hazard. I would think the Polor bear would be more of a hazard. You don't see them trying to kill them off do you?Someone gets killed by cougars every year, you don't see them trying to kill off all of them do you?They should be thankful we don't have elephants in the US.Some people seem to think that if it's not "domestic" it should be in a zoo or not at all.They can live in a zoo. My life is already to "domesticated". A couple more generations and you will be told where you can live, what you can do, and whether or not you can have offspring.

I am black feet Indian this is sad and disgracefull 2 are Native Americans 2 are Native American ways these are God's creature leave them alone if for some reason we need the Buffalo they will be a great use to us alive not dead you do no the world is not kind and neither is karma shame on you is not enough.

The bisson aren't killing people but the grizzly bears polar bears cougars and many other animals are but we arent suggesting that we kill them in fact just the opposite save the polar bears save the whales so on and so on so why arent we trying to save the bisson we almost lost them once why would we want to purposely make such a majestic animal become extinct havent we already taken enough away from our children and grandhchildren that they have to learn about them in school or visit a museum of natural history we don't need our future learning about the bisson this way leave them roam as they were meant to!!!

What is wrong with our government. If they don't want them bredding then for god sakes neuter. I can't talk enought about neutering pets and stop with the insanity. We have ducks here in Ocala that the county was trying to kill because they couldn't think of any other way to keep them from having more chicks. Um move them and give them something that causes them not to get pregnant.. GEE People. We are the dumbest species on earth...

Buffalo is a sacred animal to many of us..he guides us protects us and gives of himself so we may have life. Please let our voices be heard and please remember it only hurts us when we kill our relations.

It seems our country is so into killing, animals and people. The bison were near extinction and saved, for what? Now we want to kill them again. Why is killing so often the first response? Surely a better solution can be had.

This angers me right down to my bones. Your nation will fall and the buffalo will roam over your graves . There is a letter that was written to President Franklin Pierce in 1855 from Chief Seattle : the whites too shall pass - perhaps sooner than other tribes.continue to contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

I call for a petition to the President to relieve Daniel Wenks from his job ....The buffalo is a sacred animal native to AMERICA. Fortunately for us Buffalo was brought back after it was slaughtered by the same Mentality.

PLEASE leave the Buffalo alone!!! There are absolutely NO reason for killing them. They are such beautiful animals, and I ABSOLUTELY object to killing the Buffalo. So my answer for all of this is NO PLEASE DO NOT HARM THEM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. Thanks!!!!!

Im from Australia and I say NO!!! We use to kill wildlife here too and then it became extinct. So many of our wildlife becomes extinct all over the world. What happened to preservation? Everything that has been created has a purpose in life and the balance that is needed. Wiping out species only disrupts nature and the ecosystem. You reap what you sow!!!! SO BECAREFUL!!!!

One question?! Why is our government so eagar to let people from other countries come here to feel free when you won't let our wildlife whose was here first have that same chance? If you can't err mange them give them to the tribes of America ,if anyone owns them they do and they will treat them with respect...I am so ashamed of our country,you talk of gun control? The hunters of these innocent animals are terroists!!!And I call them hunters lighty for it is more of a can hunt right? Such weak men....

I think these greedy people need to be removed out of any upper office so they can stop destorying what is left and what true people have tried so hard to bring back(wolves,buffalo,ect.). Animals that need to be here for a balance in nature and GOD gave us this beauty, he put in our hands to respect and enjoy not kill and destroy for profit and greed of any kind...I also fill there could be some type of birth control......killing is "NO! LOUD AND CLEAR!" you must listen to past mistakes and not repeat as you are not just destoying the buffalo you are destroying your children and their childrens,ect. lives and futures..STOP! THE ATOMIC CHAOS BEFORE ANOTHER MINDLESS PERSON MAKES THE WRONG CHOICE FOR ALL OF US!

The White man did not try to exterminate your people. Foreign corporations who happened to be ran by white people did, and are now doing it to all of us. Pull your head out of your ass, we are all in this fight together.

theyre trying to get rid of the buffalo...wolf...etc...its just like fracking...they dont have to be here for the damage later...but too bad they think so little of their own children and grandchildren,,,they may leave them money but it wont help when there is no clean water...no fish to eat...no wild meat to eat...no clean parks to visit and vacation in..okay kids can you say thank you daddy and grandpa for the money...thats not worth the paper its printed on....we get a polluted life to live...such as it is

The buffalo were there first and no human has any right to kill them for their ( the humans ) convenience . They aren't woolly tanks , they are sentient beings with a spirit and have as much right to live as anything human .

Montana will never get another penny of my tourist money or another good word from me if the state goes ahead with the planned idiotic buffalo slaughter. And I will spread your ignorance to anyone who will listen . . .

I also entered the above comment on this website: http://www.facebook.com/visitmontanaI encourage you to do the same - like someone before me said - hit em' in the pocketbook, since only money seems to matter . .

Oh my God! Are these people in office barmy? It has taken years to retrieve the natural state of the land with it's wild life.America is huge.There is plenty of space for people and animals.The judge is 100% right.The animals were there first.Learn to leave well alone and don't condone greed.Because that's all it is.

The whole part about the Bison being gone as Montana became a state is ludicrous. These animals have as much right to live as do we and ways must be found to coexist. Get them to that empty grazing land set aside by the Indians. DO NOT have an open slaughter on these creatures. That is just wrong.

So we kill the buffalo,then the cougar/mountain lion, deer, elk,wolf,coyote and on and on it goes, because of a few farmers? Should raise buffalo instead of cattle, more meat on the buffalo. Complain and whine is what a lot of people do. I know greed is a big part of this. LEAVE THE BUFFALO ALONE!!

This is the most assinine thing I've heard in some time. How about zero tolerance for invasive species like cattle, sheep and for that matter ranchers, who use public lands at low cost with all sorts of subsidies, and seek to control them as their own private domain. Let's at least preserve the integrity of our National Parks and other public lands as places where native species can prosper.

This is the most assinine thing I've heard in some time. How about zero tolerance for invasive species like cattle, sheep and for that matter ranchers, who use public lands at low cost with all sorts of subsidies, and seek to control them as their own private domain. Let's at least preserve the integrity of our National Parks and other public lands as places where native species can prosper. I had to copy this because I could not have said it better.

I pray that the senior treaty hunting rights of the NP and Montana Tribes will allow for the legal protection of these prehistorical mammals. They actually have rights whereas the Montana farmers and ag people only have a privilege to occupy the lands.

Montana depends on tourism dollars and the Oil & Gas (fracking) industry would love to see tourism go away. So, instead of boycotting Montana, write to the montana department of tourism and say you are coming b/c we have bison. Also write to Yellowstone National Park and tell them the same thing. Ditto the governor. And remind all of them that without tourists, Montana and the Park will suffer economically. If you simply do not come to MT, then the anti-wildlife folks have just one more reason to kill the wildlife b/c they will say "see, no one likes the wildlife." IT IS ALSO WORTH WRITING A LETTER TO YOUR SENATOR AND TO MAX BAUCUS AND JON TESTER OF MONTANA AND TELLING THEM HOW MUCH THE BISON MEAN TO YOU AND THAT YOU KNOW THE BISON ARE A PUBLIC RESOURCE (HECK, AN INTEGRAL PART OF YELLOWSTONE) AND THAT YOU KNOW THEY DO NOT POSE AN ACTUAL RISK TO CATTLE (which has already been proven) AND YOU EXPECT THEM (THE SENATORS) TO DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT THE STATE OF MONTANA FROM KILLING OFF AMERICA'S TREASURED WILDLIFE! PLEASE WRITE TODAY!!!

Why do people always go forward as a "steamroller" of all living things. What man has the right to profile on Mother Earth. What leaves our generation for inheritance to our posterity. Should they only get to see pictures of our living species to some to be "profiling" even more. Let these proud animals that were here before humans arrived and began to spread himself and "own" this land...

Seriously?! First the relentless slaughter of wolves, now bison, who's next? Bears? Big cats? Where does this killing craze in the name of greed stop???

The problem isn't with nature, roaming where nature is supposed to be living, the problem is with cattle rancher's using public lands to graze cattle at the expense of the land and it's original inhabitants.

It's past time to take away cattle grazing on public lands. It's past time to boycott EVERYTHING that comes out of these killing states. These animals belong to the citizens of ALL the United Sates NOT the states that they happen to inhabit. Let's take a stand and protect our wildlife against these greedy parasites called ranchers!

I'm appauld too! Enough Killing our Wildlife, just because a few Humans want to for their own Greed. Enough Already! Being Native American it tears at my Soul Everytime I read about killing off our Wild Horse's and now our Wild Buffalo? It's Everyone's National Park and therefore you need to let Everyone Speak before doing something as Stupid as this. Strongly Down for Contacting all Representatives to make this plan Desolve. Peace, Love & Kindness, Redbird

This problem, this effort to exterminate Buffalo on all lands in Montana is tied to ONE party, yet it seems this blog has a ban on mentioning it. Why?

Clearly quite a few people who consider themselves Republicans want the buffalo around, but because of blogs like this they think it's a "government problem" when it is a problem with some of the members of their party like the sponsor of the bill WHO just won reelection in his district.

Contacting government agencies is a waste of time.

If you are a Republican contact YOUR representative and tell him NOT to support such bills.

As long as sensible people think both sides are to blame for stupid bills/laws like this, or think that its "government's" fault, then the INDIVIDUALS who are to blame will continue to succeed.

In years past quite a few stupid laws were being pushed by Democrats, but THAT is NOT the case in Montana or in a whole range of states.

Today in Montana it is a Republican party led effort to kill the buffalo.

The only thing standing in the way in the PAST standing in the way of these becoming law was that the Democratic governor would veto them, but those days are gone.

The legislature is virtually veto proof.

That means the bill will pass, unless Republicans who oppose the bill start to tell their Republican state representatives to NOT support it.

Democrats as of 2012 do not have the votes in the state senate or state house to stop the bill. In both houses Republicans enjoy a near 2/3 majority.

Something has to be done about our government and all their little hidden previsions to do what they like with out the peoples vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and how can i sign a petition when i or others don't see one???????????????????????????????????????????

It would be sad to kill these awesome bison; if they are exterminated it will be too late. The bison symbolise the history of the plains. Plans should be made to help bison survive as there is more to living than just profit. Surely private ownership of land does not take precedence over the welfare of the whole nation.Brian Murphy

I hv had the privilege of being at The Pow wow of Nations in New Mexico & dining w Arapho Indians. We ate buffalo & it was excellent!! I also lived w them in Oklahoma since I was married to one...him & I used to ride dwn to a field where the buffalo roamed & water them as well as watch them for hrs...thy hv personality !! Yes ! Thy do ! Please dont kill them all off !! Thy hv more a right to b here than we do ! Thy were here first but unfortuately thy dont hv the means to pay taxes & thy may cost a little money to support...but dont the foreign ppl here cost ?? Get tax breaks natural born Americans dont get ?? If the govt wud stop this bs behavior we'd hv plenty to help the indians save these poor animals & in turn the animals cud save us !!! Each & everything here for a reason PLEASE PPL DONT TRY TO FOOL MOTHER NATURE....SHE WILL BITE BACK!!! God intended for the animals to b saved on tat ark!! Buffalo were no exception!!

Why Kill The Great Spirit of The Buffalo,Without them some of us would not be here as they sustained Many Tribes they have Earned thier Right/Were Almost Extinct at one point and Now they Prosper-They are a Living Legend-I am Blackfoot and Comanchee and I say No...."Let The Buffalo Roam"-- THUNDER ROSE

Stop the madness!! These majestic beast were near extenction and we fought hard to bring them back. Let the Buffalo roam where they may.. they were here long before we were..and have the right to continue to repopulate. Hasn't anyone learned from history? Do NOT let it repeat..

It's THEIR home. How can you possibly rationalize this? "Where the buffalo roam"? Can't there be any shred of our country left? I imagine you'll do it anyway and the media will look the other way but scumbags, you never know who may be watching you. Defenseless animals are not the only things that can be slaughtered

We live in the country in northern Michigan and my neighbor has a buffalo farm they are magnificent. and it is a wonderful experience to see the birth of the calvesDo not slaughter these magnificent beasts take them to a reservationor someone with lots of land for them to roam

I think we should exterminate the dept of livestock!! Have these people just completely lost their minds? A zero tolerance policy for wild bison? Just who do these morons think they are? Like anything a government organization has anything to do with, you can bet it will be distroyed. I live in Va but I hope enough of us living in the area to see that this is stopped.

I pray that there are enough like minded people that love and respect the land and the animals to put a stop to this. I live in Virginia and it breaks my heart that this is being talked about. It is no humans place to do what they are talking about doing to these beautiful animals. I hope someone can let me know what happens.

If they slaughter the buffalo, what are the predators goig to hunt? They will start attacking domestic cattle and then it will be, that they will have to be exterminated. The Native Americans, bison, wolf, bear etc were ther before the white/black American, but it's typical of the immigrant races when they take over new lands, it's wipe out whats already ther.

my name is Melinee miller. i think what you people are doing is wrong. it is just like what they have been doing to the Mustangs for decades. excuse me ranchers if you don't have the land for the cows you have don't keep buying more and more just to get the land for what cows and crap you have i am signing this form because it's not right what you are thinking of doing to these beautiful animals. SHAME ON YOU.

Are you F#$king kidding me! It is one thing to cull a heard because the land is overpopulated, but it is a WHOLE OTHER THING to completely eradicate a whole species because of the buffalo migrating to find food. Especially since the Native tribes have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take these sacred animal and care for them. Buffalo are one of the biggest attractions that people want to see when they go to Yellowstone! I am so disgusted. If Yellowstone allows this slaughter to take place I will Vow to NEVER go there, and it has been one of my biggest dreams to go there.

Fran Kile says: I think it's a crime to slaughter the buffalo. If they are a problem it is probably because people are dumb enough to believe that they are tame and act on that belief by trying to get very close to take pictures of them or to pet them. Leave the animals alone. They were here long before man decided the best way to live on the land was to destroy it.

HOW many years have 'we the people' been trying to bring BACK the buffalo? Gimme a break Montana. OK, if there are just too many for carrying capacity, fine, do a cull. Let the Indians have first rights, but kill them OFF? Remember the passenger pigeon?

I pray that the slaughter of buffalo does not come to pass. Have we learned nothing from the past when these awesome animals were nearly wiped out. True, if there are just to many, relocate them. I agree, leave the buffalo alone and make the white man leave. We have made so many animals nearly extinct because we have encroached into their habitats. In my part of the woods in Nebraska, the hot shots just can't seem to shoot enough mountain lions because they are ignorant and apparently can't operate a tranquilizer gun.

No! No! No! No! NOO! This is a very sore subject with me. These creatures are as much a National Treasure - more so - than any building in Washington D.C. They are as much a part of the National Parks as the geysers, landscapes, etc. They are part of the ecosystem of this world and destroying them upsets the balance. Unbelievable! If our legislators put as much effort into the balancing our budget and taking care of our own as they do toward destroying our ecosystem, then we'd be in a lot better shape. ~Lynn "Spirit Wolf" Nowling

For my part, I will only eat Buffalo as they are native to the west. Wild Idea Buffalo is who I buy from because of their respect for the Native people. Please watch The Wolf that Changed America, and also http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html. Such magnificent animals! It is people who are the brutes.

Some people could careless about Bison. What they don't realize is that bison are the reason a lot of the white people have jobs, and also without then the tourist economy will swindle down to 1/2 or less!

Bison are good for the range. They don't trample the prairie, their hoofs are cloven and they loosen the soil and help improve the growth when it rains. Some management is needed if they have to leave the park for food. The American government was responsible for their near extinction to help control the Indians during the taming of the West. The American People should help get them reintroduced to other national parks and lands where they used to roam free. Luis and Clark described the landscape was "in motion". Meaning they were looking into the distance and the landscape was covered with bison roaming free; Numbering in the millions. Isn't there a way to exist together. Instead of killing them can't these Montana residents find a different way? This is CONAGRA and BIG AG trying to control the markets. It is aboslutely disgusting.

We should be finding ways of preserving and living alongside our fellow inhabitants not destroy them. Leave these and other beautiful majestic creatures alone and give them respect. Warning: Humans are destroying the earth on a gigantic scale , it has to stop, NOW!

Denise says: You claim that Yellowstone National park is a natural preserve and that it is one of the most beautiful places that man can go and be one with nature, and yet you are killing all the animals that walk this land that makes Yellowstone that natural preserve; you must stop the killing of these and any animals that are walking this earth, the balance of life is a force for no man to play with...The circle will not be broken...IDLE NO MORE...HUGS...